To speak with one's hands
by Jedi-Bant
Summary: Legolas has a secret that only Aragorn knows and even he doesn't know the whole story. So when Legolas is acting the only way he can the Fellowship think he is being rude.
1. Rudeness and misunderstanding

**TO SPEAK WITH ONE'S HANDS**

"I don't like the look of these sausages Merry," Said Pippin, staring doubtfully down at the offending piece of meat, "why, they aren't even half the size of the porkers back home! In fact, I think three of these would barely-"

"Pippin! You're giving me a headache."

"But Merry!" Exclaimed Pippin, turning to stare in astonishment at his frustrated friend, "Can't you see? They're not even as long as-"

"This isn't the Green Dragon anymore Pippin," said Merry exasperatedly, "you really shouldn't have come with us. You've been a confounded nuisance for the past three days anyway, and poor Frodo! When you asked him for his sausage yesterday, he looked like he was about to scream!"

Pippin stared stonily at the rocks he was sitting next to. "I see," he said slowly, "you like Frodo better than me, don't you."

"No! Pippin, don't be ridiculous! I-" Merry began hastily.

"No, no, it's quite alright," said Pippin, blinking back tears. "It's obvious you don't want to be around me any more. No, I can see it quite clearly now. I'm going to go talk to the elf."

Pippin stood up and tossed his small sausage in Merry's face. Merry spluttered and let it roll down his shoulder as Pippin stormed off huffily.

Legolas was sitting by himself outside the circle of the company, perched motionless on a large rock like an elegant bird. He gazed far off over the tall, blue, mountains in the distance, his eyes focused on something that no one else it seemed, could see.

His thoughts wandered from his home in Mirkwood with its lovely streams and tall elegant trees, to the darkness of Mordor, and the threat it was imposing upon all his kindred. For a moment, it seemed the elf bent slightly on his rock, as if carrying a burden, but whatever it was passed and he resumed his straight-backed pose.

He gazed at the beauty of the landscape, and not for the first time felt hope stir within him.

"Gloomy looking place, don't you think so?"

Legolas nearly jumped. The small, foolish hobbit had appeared almost silently.

Pippin was standing at the elf's elbow which brushed the top of his head. Legolas didn't answer but instead glared at the hobbit.

"You know you haven't told us your name yet?" Pippin said trying to get the elf to speak to him as he was feeling very unwanted. "Well you probably know this already but my name is Pippin, well not really, it's actually Peregrin but I prefer Pippin or Pip if you like. See Frodo over there? He's my second cousin- well, once removed from his mother's side. And Merry… well, lets not talk about Merry. So, do you have any family?"

But still he received no answer from the elf. Who turned back to stare at the mountains in front of him. So Pippin walked back to the fire and snatched the sausage back from Merry as he was about to eat it.

Legolas watched the hobbit leave and instantly felt sorry for the hobbit. He took one last look at the landscape in front of him then followed the Hobbit back to where he had been sitting with Meriadoc.  

He crouched down next to the hobbit and drew an arrow from his quiver. He then used to arrow to write in the dirt.

LEGOLAS

He then looked up at the hobbit and pointed at the name.

But Pippin didn't seem to get it so the elf pointed at the name then at him.

Still no reaction.

After a few tries of trying to get the Hobbit to understand he got up and walked over to the rest of the group.

"If you want to say something just say it, don't try to confuse me." Pippin called after him, annoyed by the elf.

Legolas sat down with Boromir, Gimli, Frodo and Sam as they waited for Aragorn and Gandalf to return from scouting the area.

"You know Pippin is only trying to be polite." Boromir said.

Legolas looked at him then went back to staring at the fire.

"You think that your better then us don't you? Just because you're an elf and you're immortal." Boromir continued.

Legolas ignored him.

Boromir stood and walked over to where the elf was sitting by the fire. He reached out to grab the elf but Legolas was too fast for him and dashed off into the trees around them.

"Where is Legolas?" Aragorn asked when he and Gandalf returned.

"Who?" Boromir asked.

"Legolas, the elf who has been travelling with us for the past three days."

"Oh is that his name. He seems to think that we aren't good enough for him to waste his breath on speaking to us."

"It's true when I tried to start a friendly conversation with him he turned away and ignored me." Pippin added.

"Where is he?" Aragorn repeated.

"He ran into the trees and good riddens if you ask he." Boromir snapped pointing in the direction where Legolas had disappeared.

Aragorn took a deep breath trying to calm himself.

"Boromir, would you ask a blind man to see or a deaf man to hear?"

"No." he replied confused.

"Then why do you ask a mute man to speak?" Aragorn asked before running off into the trees. Leaving the fellowship in shock at the new discovery.


	2. Arrows and scars

**TO SPEAK WITH ONE'S HANDS**

**Sign Language**

Perched high in the branches of a great, ancient oak tree, Legolas stared silently down at his hands. In his right, he was fingering a gold-tipped arrow- the one his father had given him when he had lead his first group of solders to battle and had emerged victorious. So many memories… he mentally counted the four nicks in the point. He knew exactly when each one had occurred, why, and how. He stared motionless down at the third nick. It was near the tip of the arrow. No one else could understand what every little detail in this arrow could mean to him. It was the closest, most personal thing to him.

Looking next to him, he looked at his wrist guards he had removed. Then, putting aside the arrow in the safety of his quiver, he pulled back the sleeve of his left arm. To mortal eyes, it would have appeared to be a normal patch of skin on the wrist. But Legolas knew better. To his elven eyes, he could see the long, white scars. To him, they were twisted and entwined in terrible forms. Flashes of darkness and despair clawed at his mind, and he closed his eyes momentarily.

There was the soft sound of leaves being disturbed somewhere below, and Legolas pulled his sleeves back down, replaced his wristbands and leaned back against the main trunk of the tree. "Legolas?" the words came from below him, on the ground. He remained motionless as Aragorn climbed the tree quickly. Pulling himself up onto the branch next to Legolas, Aragorn surveyed him carefully.

**"Are you well?" **Aragorn asked in the sign Language that Legolas used to communicate.

**"I'm fine." **Legolas replied.

**"I apologise, I should have told the rest of the fellowship why you didn't speak to them." **

Legolas turned to look out at the forest around him, forcing Aragorn to end the conversation.

"Legolas, they are going to want an explanation."

"**I know."**

They sat in silence for a few moments. Legolas suddenly stood up amongst the branches and picking up his quiver, jumped lightly down from branch to branch, reaching the ground. Aragorn followed. An unspoken agreement formed between them as they made their way back to the fellowship.

They found the fellowship in disarray, Boromir and Gimli were having a heated argument with Gandalf, leaving the hobbits to watch fearfully from a distance behind some rocks.

"Elrond always have a reason for his actions, it is not your place to question his judgement," Gandalf was saying loudly, brandishing his knobbly staff, "a warrior's strength does not always lie in his words."

"Gandalf, we cannot have someone in this fellowship who can't communicate to his companions when the time is dire."

"I agree." said Gimli stoutly. "What kind of elf doesn't speak to his comrades anyway?"

"Because he can't-" Gandalf started, but was interrupted by the entrance of Aragorn and Legolas.

The fellowship was silent. Aragorn looked hastily at Gandalf who merely shrugged wearily. Legolas held himself proudly, but there was something vulnerable about him- something weaker. He avoided eye contact with any of them, and sat down by a cluster of bushes, taking out a small knife and sharpening one of his arrows carefully.

"Legolas is one of the best archers in Middle Earth. It is very rare for him to miss a target and the fact that he is unable speak the same way as we do doesn't mean that he is unable to do so in his own manner."

"Then why do you speak for him? Why does he not he confront us himself." Boromir snapped.

"**Perhaps, because your stupidity prevents you from understanding conversation more intelligent then your own."**

"Exactly, my point Legolas!" Aragorn said pointing at his friend.

The Fellowship turned to see Legolas making hand signs which Aragorn seemed to understand.

"See this is exactly my point you two are having your own little conversation which the rest of us can't understand." Boromir complained.

"**Well why does it matter? Even if I could talk we would still talk in elvish not you monotonous common tongue." **Legolas signed to the man even though he couldn't understand.

"Legolas! **Don't be rude. That's my language too."**

**"No offence intended Aragorn but you must admit that elvish is a much smoother language to speak."**

"What are they saying?" Pippin asked Gandalf.

"They are arguing about which language is the better, common or elvish." Gandalf supplied.

"Well personally I think that common is easier to speak but elvish is much kinder on the ears, If you ask me." Sam said scratching his head.

"**Thank you." **Legolas signed to the Hobbit.

"What did he say?" Sam asked Aragorn.

"He was thanking you for agreeing with him."

"Oh well I'm glad to be of assistance." Sam said, the tips of his ears turning slightly pink with embarrassment.

"Alright we can't have you all asking me every time you want to know what Legolas is saying so why don't we teach you some words of his language?"

"Why doesn't he just keep to himself then we won't have to bother." Gimli snapped.

"**Aragorn can you translate for me please?"**

**"**Legolas has asked me to translate what he is saying for him."

"**I'm sure both of you have been in battle before and you have used hand signes to show your intentions to your fellow soldiers but if your enemy finds out the meaning of these signs then you're lost. The Mirkwood armies have found a different system thanks to my disability. Orcs have small minds and can't process many things around them so if we make it so what we say to each other sounds like the birds and animals of the forest around us. That way we have them jumping at any and every sound around them and can take them by surprise. I command 10 battalions in the Mirkwood royal army and my being unable to talk to them doesn't change anything. Half of them don't even know my language but they all respect me for who I am. Some even more because of it. So I suggest that you respect me too or you may find yourself regretting it later." **Legolas then returned to where he had been sitting and continued to sharpen his arrows.

"Is that a threat elf?" Gimli asked menacingly.

Legolas nodded calmly and continued what he was doing without looking up.

Gimli approached Legolas with a snarl, and advanced towards him with his axe held high. Legolas rolled out of the way and then jumped up nimbly to defend himself with his twin elven knifes. Both faced each other momentarily, and then lunged at each other. Gimli rumbled forwards, swinging his great axe madly, and roaring like a lion. Legolas stepped lightly out of the way, seeming untroubled.

"Shouldn't we stop them?" Frodo asked nervously.

"No they need to over come their differences, else they come up during a time when we are taken up surprise by the enemy." Gandalf replied tiredly. "Honestly, the differences between them… he really should know better."

Frodo wasn't entirely sure which one Gandalf meant.

"Also Legolas is very sensitive about fighting his own battles." Aragorn put in. "As is Gimli. Together, on the same side, they certainly could be a force to be reckoned with."

Boromir looked at Aragorn incredulously. "They are both fools," he said knowingly, "why, they are more than a match for each other; I fear we may lose more than one fellowship member in this brawl."

Gimli and Legolas continued their fight, the hobbits having to scatter a few times to get out of the way of the battling pair. Pippin nearly got impaled on the end of Gimli's axe handle, and Merry and Sam had to push him out the way. Frodo remained silent. He had a strong desire to escape from his responsibilities all of a sudden, and was fighting the idea of putting on the ring and disappearing.

But the fight didn't last long as Legolas had more experience and was able to out manoeuvre Gimli and managed to make Gimli drop his axe, using that moment to put his knives at Gimli's throat. Gimli growled in rage.

Legolas looked firmly at the Dwarf then made a few clicks and whistles with his tongue which Aragorn translated.

"He asked if you yield."

The dwarf glared at Legolas before nodding discretely, but Legolas wouldn't move.

"He wants you to say it." Aragorn supplied.

"I yield." Gimli said through gritted teeth.

Legolas seemed to accept this and drew his knives back from the Dwarf's throat, allowing Gimli to get back to his feet clumsily. Legolas retrieved the axe from it's position, embedded in a tree trunk nearby. The dwarf looked like he wanted a rematch, but gruffly nodded as he was handed his precious weapon. Elf and Dwarf faced each other for a moment, before Legolas made more movement with his hands which Aragorn hastily translated:

"**I have fought many battles for many years. I was fighting wars and enemies long before you were born. Do not overlook my age by my appearance; I am an experienced fighter; even if a part of my life was lost to… other things." **Here, Legolas' hands faltered, and for a moment he seemed lost in thought.

Gimli looked at the elf but, seemingly with a new found respect.


	3. Signing and Swimming

**TO SPEAK WITH ONE'S HANDS**

**Sign Language**

Two days later they found a small lake which they decided to stay at so everyone could bath and replenish there strength.

Legolas stayed with the hobbits to set up camp while the others checked the surrounding area. When they had finished Legolas continued to help the hobbits sign language as he had been doing each night while they waited for the others to return.

Legolas would write a word in the sand and then do the sign for them. Once he had done a few he would do a sign and they had to tell him the meaning. It had turned into something of a game for the hobbit which they seemed to have lots of fun playing. While Legolas was doing this with the hobbits Aragorn would usually teach the rest of the fellowship in a more civilised manner.

"Legolas?"

The elf turned his attention to Pippin.

"Can we go for a swim while e wait for the others to come back?"

Legolas thought for a minute then signed for them to wait and listen.

He stood then cupped his mouth with his hands and let out a series of Animal and Bird noises before lowering his hands and listening along with the hobbits.

After a moment the hobbits could hear another series of sounds which Legolas nodded at then turned to the Hobbits and he directed then towards the lake for a swim.

The Prince sat in a nearly tree watching the hobbits as they bathed and swam in the Lake below him.

The hobbits called for him to join them numerous times and in the end he striped off his tunic, boots, wrist guards and weapons before diving off the tree into the water below making sure that he splashed the hobbits as he entered the water.

It seemed however that this was what someone had been waiting for as a group of Uruk-Hai and men came out of the trees. Two of them quickly gathered the weapons that had been left on the shore while the rest surrounded the small lake cutting off any escape.


	4. Running and history

**TO SPEAK WITH ONE'S HANDS**

**Sign Language**

****

"Come out of the water and don't try anything." One of the men ordered to the group in the water.

The hobbits looked at Legolas to take the lead but the elf seemed frozen to the spot. Seeing this Pippin tried to get the elf moving but failed at his attempt.

A small group of the Orcs, who were also with the group, laughed at the elf and started to taunt him in their language, which the elf seemed to understand.

Legolas glared at the orcs before moving to leave the water. As he moved he pulled Frodo towards him and patted the hobbits chest where the ring sat then spelt out the word hide with his hands before they were too close to the surrounding enemy.

When the small group reached the shore the Uruk-Hai grabbed each of the members of the group and tied there arms behind their backs. They were then all pushed into a jog, which for the hobbits was a run, till they came to an area about 200m from the lake where the fellowship had been camping.

There they were stopped and the men walked over to a group of horses that occupied the area. The hobbits were all lifted onto the Uruk-Hai's shoulders while a loop was placed over Legolas's head, around his neck, and the other end was attached to one of the horses.

The Uruk-Hai and Orcs took off at a run followed by the horses and Legolas. Legolas was forced to run after the horses at a speed that no human could keep up with. Each time he slowed the rope around his neck would cut off his air supply and choke him.

They ran for two hours till Legolas tripped over a rock that was in his path and he was dragged along the ground. He was ignored until he got in the way of the legs of the horses behind him, forcing the group to halt.

The leader turned his horse around and walked aback over to where Legolas had fallen. He got off the horse and kicked the fallen elf.

"UP!"

Legolas tried to stand but with his arms still tied behind his back it was impossible.

"UP!" The man repeated, kicking Legolas again.

"Leave him alone!" Pippin yelled at the man.

The man turned to the Hobbit and walked towards him. The Hobbits were dropped at the man's feet and they tried to crawl over to their companion but were pulled back by the Orcs.

"Why should I leave him alone? Why shouldn't I beat him and leave him here to die?"

"He never did anything to you!" Merry snapped at the man.

"Didn't do anything to me?" the man said, he then turned to his company, "Did you hear that boys? He didn't do anything to me," the man turned back to the hobbits, "Your right he didn't do anything to me but he is property of my Grandfather, your friend is a slave. He was my families slave for over 1000 years. Until, he escaped, 64 years ago, because of my Grandmother's incompetence. She paid for that mistake with her life. We have watched him since then waiting for him to take his guard down, which he never did. Until now." The man turned back to Legolas who had managed to get himself into a sitting position and was glaring at the man.

The man walked back over to Legolas and grabbed the elf's face.

"It was my father's life work trying to catch this elf and it was to be mine except I have caught him and I will present him to my Grandfather went we return home. But this time he won't escape."


	5. Search and find

**TO SPEAK WITH ONE'S HANDS**

**Sign language/animal sounds**

"Legolas?" Aragorn called when he, Boromir, Gimli and Gandalf returned to the campsite.

"Frodo...? Sam…? Merry...? Pippin…?"

"Boromir go look by the lake, they were going swimming." Aragorn ordered.

The man walked off in the direction of the lake which was 50 or so metres away from the camp.

Aragorn cupped his hands around his mouth and called out to Legolas in a series of high pitched animal sounds, similar to what he and Legolas had used earlier in the day.

He waited a moment then repeated the sounds.

After 5 minutes of this he gave up and started to help the others to search the ground for any signs of their missing friends.

"Aragorn," Boromir called from the lake.

He ran over to the rest of the group to see what they had found.

Boromir was holding, Legolas's empty quiver, the ground was littered with broken arrows and Legolas's cloths.

"There are tracks leading off that way," Boromir said pointing east, "Looks like orcs and men."

"They must have been taken while they were swimming." Gandalf said.

"But how could we have missed them, we found no signs of anyone in the surrounding area."

"They must know the area and avoided us."

"Surly Sauron's forces wouldn't come this close to Rivendell." Boromir asked.

Aragorn sighed, "They have been getting closer every year, the elves are leaving these shores so the magic of Rivendell is slowly fading and so those that remain can't keep them as far back as they use to."

"Elrond has long suspected a settlement of men and orcs have lived near here but they could never find them. There is a system of caves near here; if anyone was trying to hide they could do so there," Gandalf suggested.

"Pack camp, we can head towards these caves and see if we can find Legolas and the Hobbits." Aragorn said.

They quickly moved back to the camp after gathering the Hobbit and Legolas's clothing.

When they were ready they moved quickly to the east, in the direction that the footprints went.

"Gandalf, I fear Legolas's reaction to being captured. What if these are the first people who caught him. He can't cope with that again, he could fade."

"Well let us hope for his sake that it isn't, Aragorn, We need him on this quest, no matter how much Boromir and Gimli think otherwise."

Legolas and the hobbits were forced on for another 2 hours after the man had revealed his reasons for capturing them. It was only when they came to a hidden cave at the base of a mountain that they slowed. They were taken inside then lead deep into the mountain past groups of Men, Orcs and Uruk-Hai alike all talking, eating and laughing together in black speech as if they were of the same race.

Legolas cringed as the language met his ears, he had heard it many times before, most recently when at the council of Elrond, by it had always upset him and it reminded him of the first time he had been in the hands of these people.

They were taken to a large throne room, there was an old man sitting on a stone throne at the front of the room. The man ignored them, but instead got up and walked over to their captor, greeting him, in Black speech. The hobbits were easily pushed to their knees while Legolas had to be kicked in the back of the knees for the men to get him to the floor in front of the throne.

"What have we here," the old man asked, walking over to the 5 kneeling figures, "Have you returned what is truly mine, Rondir?"

"I managed to catch the slave and a couple of new slaves as…compensation for all the trouble he has caused us," Rondir told the man.

"Well done, my son. Your Grandfather will be pleased to know that he will be able to punish the slave for his disobedience." He said, patting Rondir on the shoulder.

Legolas knew this man as, Sandir, the man had only been a child when he escaped but he could remember the distinct Birthmark the man had on the right side of his face, it was a dark purple colour which ran from his neck and disappeared into his long brown hair.

Sandir walked over to Legolas and grabbed the elf by his hair pulling the elf up towards him.

"You remember me don't you, slave?"

The elf glared at him.

"What? Couldn't the great Lord of Rivendell work out how to fix your voice? It was only a simple potion."

Legolas spat in the man's face. He was rewarded by a fist connecting with the soft flesh of his stomach.

"I see that your years away from here have destroyed all my ancestors work in taming you."

Legolas snapped back in his animal language. **"I was never tame."**

The man slapped him to silence him.

"Take him down to the dungeons and teach him a lesson," Sandir ordered, "And make his friends watch."

**Some names**

(A/N I know this is random but names in middle earth seem to rhyme within families so that is what I did.)

Sandor - Legolas's last master

Sandir – Son of Legolas's last master

Rondir – Grandson of Legolas's last master, caught Legolas and the Hobbits.


	6. Hair and hiding

**TO SPEAK WITH ONE'S HANDS**

**Sign language/animal sounds**

The hobbits were tied up at one end of the cell. While Legolas, was at the other, being beaten.

There torturers where a mixed group of men, orcs and Uruk-Hai, who took turns beating the elf. Legolas was hanging from the ceiling by his hands and he looked a mess.

His normally perfect hair had started to come out of its braids and was sticking up in random directions. His back was a bloody mess of lines from where he had been whipped, he was covered in bruise and a couple of his ribs looked broken.

All of them were in only their pants which were still slightly damp from their swim and they were all shivering. Except for Frodo, who had kept his undershirt on to hide the ring, it was telling Frodo to use it to escape.

Legolas had endured the whipping that his captors dealt out to him; he kept reminding himself that as long as their attention was on him the hobbits would go unharmed. Hopefully.

A half hour or so after they were brought into the cell, Sandir and Rondir entered the room. They motioned for the guards to stop and Legolas was freed from his restraints, causing him to drop to the ground.

The elf lay unmoving on the ground and the guards left the room.

"Have you learned your lesson, slave or should I start on your friends over there." Sandir asked gesturing towards the hobbits.

Legolas didn't answer but instead managed to push himself on to his knees, and crawled over to the pair.

He knelt at Sandir's feet and nuzzled his face against the man's leg, he then putting his forehead to the ground and stayed there.

"I should have known that you would break easily." The man said, then walked away. "We will return in the morning and present you to my father, you best hope that he is in a good mood or you may lose your life, along with that of your friends."

"How much further are these caves?" Gimli asked, as they continued there march through the wilderness.

"It will take us a day to reach the caves. By these tracks the people who captured are friends were on horseback. But some where running so that would have slowed them down but not by much, the runners were orcs, they move faster then the average man."

They ran for 2 hours before they came to a change in the tracks.

"Here it looks like someone tripped and was dragged some way. I'm guessing it was Legolas." Aragorn said.

"Why, do you think that?" Boromir asked him.

Aragorn was a bit further ahead, and pointed at the drag marks, "These marks they are too light to be a man or orcs, but to heavy to be a hobbits. There is also this," Aragorn bent down plucked something from a bush in the middle of the path, it was some strands of blond hair, "Elvish hair." He stated.

"That could be anyone's, it could be some human's," Gimli commented.

Aragorn handed the strands to him, "try to snap it."

Gimli did as he was asked and after putting his whole strength onto the hairs they snapped.

Aragorn then pulled some hairs from his own head and handed them to the dwarf, who gave a small tug on them and they broke.

"See the different? Elvish hair is very strong; enough of it could hold the weight of three men. Legolas is the only elf that we know of in these parts, if has to be his."

"Very well, which way?"

Legolas stayed exactly where he was kneeling on the ground for an hour after the two men had left. The guards had come back in and were taunting him, but they hadn't hit Legolas since Sandir and Rondir had left, they ran their hands over his body and groped him, trying to get a reaction out of him.

After half an hour of this they got bored of his passive behaviour and left the cell, they stood outside for awhile before they decided that Legolas wasn't a threat and neither were the hobbits, who were still tied up, at the other end of the cell, so they left to find some food.

"Legolas?" Frodo called across the room, "Legolas? Legolas please wake up."

When he was sure that the guards were gone, Legolas pulled himself up and dragged himself over to the hobbit.

He pulled himself up next to Frodo.

**"Are you injured?"** he asked them.

"We're fine, Legolas, but you aren't! You can give in to them." Frodo insisted.

Legolas smiled at the hobbit and shifted his position slightly to better suit is injuries.

He looked over each of the hobbits for a few minutes then he reached forward and dug under Frodo's shirt for the ring. He pulled the chain over the Hobbits head, ignoring the hobbits protests.

The elf took the ring off its chain and reached behind the ringbearer's head. He then took some of the hobbits hair and threaded it the ring. He then braided it, into the hobbits hair, so that it was not touching to much of Frodo's scalp but it was completely hidden from view.

He was hoping that Aragorn, Gimli, Boromir and Gandalf would get there before anyone discovered the ring, and before the Hobbits were harmed by these violent people.

Legolas knew that this time he wouldn't be able to cope with being a slave to these men. But he would hold on till the hobbits were safe. Once they were with Aragorn and the rest of the Fellowship again, he would fade and he would welcome it.

**A/N** The random thing with the hair, I though that cause elves are immortal they could have very strong hair so that it will last for centuries. But then that is my strange mind at work. Oh well to bed with me. Night.


	7. Caves and Masters

**TO SPEAK WITH ONE'S HANDS**

**Sign language/animal sounds**

_Black Speech_

* * *

They didn't stop that night but the next day they found a cave. They hide in the surrounding forest, Aragorn in the trees and the rest hiding in the bushes below to see if there was any movement at the entrance of the cave.

After an hour, Gimli and Boromir crept forward and entered the cave to look around. Boromir came back a moment later and motioned for the other two to enter the cave.

* * *

When the hobbits had dropped of to sleep, Legolas moved back to his place on the floor where he had knelt before Sandir. It was something he had learnt from his last stay there. If he wasn't told to move, then don't. He had learnt that the hard way.

He still had a few hours before the men returned to reunite him with his old master. He decided to use the time to get some sleep. He knew that the next few days were going to be tiring and he wouldn't have much time alone, let along time to sleep.

He was woken not long after by one of the guards snapping one of the whips across his back. They grabbed his arms and pulled him to his feet before letting go of him and watching him fall again.

_Up,_ the Uruk-Hai demanded, cracking the whip across the Legolas's shoulders.

The hobbits had woken to the sound of the whip and were complaining from their spot on the far side of the room, but the Uruk-Hai with the whip seemed to find the Hobbit's helplessness amusing and continued to whip Legolas as he tried to stand.

_Rugluk, hurry up I want my breakfast before we go on petrol. _someone outside the cell called.

The Hobbits were relieved when the Uruk-Hai stopped whipping their friend but that relief was quickly replaced with fear as Rugluk and the other guard pulled Legolas to his feet, dragging him out of the cell and they disappeared from sight.

He was taken to a room he recognised as belonging to Sandor, his old master. He had spent many a painful day and night in the room when the human had been too rough with Legolas and he had been unable to work.

Sandor, Sandir and Rondir were all in the room discussing what to doing with Legolas. They ignored the guards and Legolas when they entered and instead continued their conversation as if no one had entered the room.

Legolas was forced to his knees again which wasn't really necessary as he was planning to act the obedient slave in order to protect the Hobbits. He would do anything to got the foursome out of the caves even if it meant once again cowering at the man's feet once again.

The three men finally finished their discussion and dismissed the guards leaving Legolas alone on the floor with the men who had stolen his freedom.

"You have no idea how long I have waited to have you back in my grasp slave," Sandor said approaching Legolas, who kept his eyes to the floor in submission.

"I see that my son has reminded you of your manners," the man continue, he trailed his hand over the wounds on Legolas's back, he flinched as a nail was scraped down one of the newer ones inflicted only minutes before hand.

"But," Sandor continued, "I will have to teach you a lesson on not trying to escape. You know I must admit that I thought you had learnt your lesson the first time you tried to escape from my father, if I recall correctly it took you a month before you could walk again and a year to stop limping."

Legolas could remember the incident very well, the man had ordered the tendons on his ankles cut, if not for his elven healing he would have been permanently lame and even with his advanced healing it took a long time before he could walk properly and even longer before he could run again, even now when he ran he had a very slight limp.

"But you will learn your lesson this time and even when you do I will make sure that you never set foot outside these caves ever again. Do you understand?"

Legolas nodded his head slightly with out looking up, but they weren't satisfied with that, Rondir moved forward and wrenched the elf's hair back till he was looking Sandor in the eyes.

"Answer me!" Sandor demanded, "Oh wait that's right, you can't." He smirked at figure at his feet.

They laughed at him for awhile, before calling to some guards outside the room.

_Take him to the guards tell them they can do anything to him but don't kill him and don't do anything permanent. _Sandor told them before crouching down in front of Legolas and taking hold of his chin, "I won't give you release just yet maybe if you beg me," he paused as if waiting for an answer, "No? Alright then. Take him." He told the guards.

* * *

**A/N sorry it's so short but I have exams this week and I have to study. Please review and give me any ideas you may have.**


	8. Search and Capture

**TO SPEAK WITH ONE'S HANDS**

**Sign language/animal sounds**

_Black Speech_

* * *

"There is nothing here, Aragorn, let us return to the entrance and continue to the next cave." Boromir said after 2 days of searching the cave system for signs of Legolas and the Hobbits. 

"Very well, let us return to the caves mouth," Aragorn agreed finally and they all started back the way they came

They moved silently back towards the start of the cave. Aragorn estimated that it would take them around half a day to get back to the entrance, and then they would need to get some rest before continuing, no matter how much he wanted to keep going they all needed rest it they were going to save their friends.

About three hours from the entrance however they were ambushed by a large group of Men, Orcs and Uruk-Hai.

Aragorn and Boromir were over powered quick as they had the disadvantage of not being able to see well in the dark. However Gimli, being a cave-dweller, was able to take down many of the enemy before he too was subdued.

Gandalf was a different matter all together. Seeing that they had no hope in defeating their numerous attackers Gandalf moved away from the fight and into a small tunnel to the groups' right. He wasn't being a coward but he was using his brain and had realised that they would be no way for them to save their friends if they were all captured. He would follow behind the group and find the other members of the fellowship so they could all escape together.

The other three were tied hand and foot so that they couldn't move; they were also gagged so they wouldn't be able to communicate an escape amongst themselves. One of the Uruk-Hai who seemed to be the leader looked them over.

_There should be another. Find him. _he ordered his troops, who fanned out to try and find Gandalf.

"Don't worry your friend will be joining you soon." The Uruk told his prisoners, who glared back in return.

_We can't find him, _one of the men said when they returned from their search for Gandalf.

_Keep looking, return to your posts in three hours if you can't find him. _the Uruk-Hai told the man before allocating a group to return with him to the main caves.

The three fellowship members were knocked unconscious before being hauled over the shoulders of some of the Uruks as the group started towards the main caves.

* * *

When Aragorn woke the group was carrying them past rooms full of Men, Orcs and Uruk-Hai alike, who were all laughing and talking together in Black speech as if they were of the same race. 

He looked around to try and find Gimli and Boromir. They were also taking in their surroundings in hope of finding an escape route for later use. But none was present, their captures were smart in knocking them out, they had no idea where they were.

They were taking into an almost empty room where a small group of Men and Uruks were eating their dinner.

The three prisoners were dumped roughly on the ground in front of the table and their captures explained what had happened before being dismissed to eat.

"So," one of the men said as he continued to eat, "you thought you would come and save your friends did you?"

None of them answered as they were still gagged but Gimli growled at them. The man got up and moved towards them.

"Feisty one, are you? Well that can be changed easily. We pride ourselves on are breaking methods here." The man explained, _SLAVE, bring my drink. _he yelled suddenly, making some people in the room jump slightly.

Aragorn, Gimli and Boromir watched as a blonde, barely dressed male run through a door at the back of the room and brought a drink to the man. When the slave turned to leave again the man grabbed him and pulled the blonde against him, kissing him brutally.

He then returned his attention back to the three on the floor, still holding the slave to him, "I'm sure you recognise my slave, he's been in my family for over a thousand years, and I thank you for returning him to me." Confused the trio looked closer at the slaves face and Rondir, the man, helped by moving the blonde's hair out of his face.

To their dismay it was Legolas, they all tried to show their displeasure through words but the gags made their words muffled and unintelligible.

"It didn't take much to retrain him, and it helped that we had his little friends to persuade him to see our point of view in the matter." Rondir continued.

"I was actually quite disappointed, they say that it is hard to break an elf, and I was looking forward to breaking him, but my family had always been good at breaking creatures. Haven't they pet?" he asked Legolas, who nodded, but unknown to Rondir, he was using his free hand to sign to Aragorn that it was an act, hoping that the ranger would see and understand.

"However I don't think we have ever had the pleasure of trying to break a dwarf, so that should be interesting." He said looking at Gimli, who glared back.

"Take them to the dungeon, and don't try to escape, or your little friends will suffer for it."

* * *

**A/N the idea of Legolas secretly signing to Aragorn I got from a TV series, If anyone has ever seen All Saints, then you may remember a deaf boy who worked in ward 17 for a while. There was one episode when someone tried to kidnap Bron but didn't notice her signing to the deaf boy for help.**

* * *

**REVIEWS**

Marblez – sorry that doesn't work on me. But thanks for the luck I need it, I get my exam back tomorrow!! Scared!!! L

youkiaofdaundrworld – thanks

Wynjara

elphirate

gods sent angel – well I am strange and out of place so that makes sense.

Lyn

smoothNcreamy - thanks

God's Child 27

Lady Lenna – got that from a different fic, can't for the life of me remember which I read it about 2 years ago.

Pointy-eared-elfs

kel

empath89

Zammy

Haldir's Heart and Soul – he will fight back, eventually, but remember that he did endure 1000 years of torture and rape, so I think he has a right to be cautious.

**I'm having some trouble uploading so please tell me if anything doesn't make sense FFN has moved some of my sentances around think i have them all but not sure.**


	9. Kitchen staff and food

**TO SPEAK WITH ONE'S HANDS**

**Sign language/animal sounds**

_Black Speech_

((Elvish))

Legolas made his way down to the kitchens to help the women to make the rest of the nightly meal and to collect his master's dinner. He was meant to just grab the dinner and leave but he always left early to get the meal to that he could help.

He had spent most of the day serving his three masters as they negotiated with a group of Uruk-Hai who were visiting. But his major problem now was that seven other members of the Fellowship were also there. He had been completely unprepared when he found the Fellowship members in the dinning room. But he had tried to keep his cool in the hope that Rondir wouldn't know that he knew the people in front of him, however his hopes died when Rondir had thanked them for his return

Following the familiar path through the caves Legolas ignored the advances that the males around him made and finally arrived at the kitchen. While he hadn't met any of the human women, he knew nearly all of the fully grown orc women, having met them last time he was a slave. Unlike the male version of their species the orc women were kind in mature and well mannered; it was the men who gave the race a bad name. The Uruk-Hai in the other hand were a different matter, as they were a newer species and they were breed for the sole purpose of killing they didn't have a female population, instead the growth of the population depended on the need of the people who created them.

Legolas was greeted enthusiastically by the kitchen staff, some whom had helped him through the years when he was injured or sick. But all of them were his friends in someway, even those he had only just met.

After greeting the women, they went back to work preparing the dinner for the male population. The men had a habit of coming down to check on them if they were even a minute late in serving the meals and it always ended badly.

Oda, one of the Orc women, was the eldest in the staff if not the eldest in the cave system and as such she had helped Legolas when he had first arrived at the caves. She had also been the one to help him to create his sign language when Sandor's ancestors had taken away his voice.

As such he was able to ask her about his friends.

While she hadn't known they were there she asked the others about them and they soon had a group of women from both races willing to go and check on the fellowship and sneak them some food.

Not long after the plan was made the meal was finished and Legolas had to leave. It was decided that the group of five young girls would go to the cells with the guards dinner. While the guards were eating two of the girls would go down stairs and take the fellowship some food. If the guards finished their meals before the two returned then the remaining three would distract the men until they returned.

Before leaving the kitchen, Legolas signed a message to Oda, who translated it to the younger girls for them to tell the fellowship if they didn't trust the women, which was most likely.

When he was sure that his message was understood Legolas left the kitchen with the meals for his three masters balanced precariously on his arms.

* * *

The five volunteers moved silently away from the main dining hall with the guards meals. They travelled down some of the less used tunnels to try and avoid attracting any unwanted attention.

When they arrived at the cells, two of them stayed out of sight so they wouldn't be missed by the guards, while the other three went forward with the meals. The men drove into the meals ravenously giving the other two the time they needed to sneak into the cells where the fellowship was.

Carolyn, a human girl originating from Gondor, went first so that the fellowship wouldn't be startled by, Drya, a young orc who was born in the caves. Carolyn hadn't been in the caves for long, she had been on her way home from visiting a family member in Northern Arnor when a group of Orcs and Men had taken her to the caves. That had been around 9 months before.

Slipping into the room, the two girls crept over to the cells. The two men and the Dwarf were in one cell while the Hobbits were in the other. The Hobbits had been given the run of their cell which the other three had their hands tied behind them, each with a length of chain about two metres long attaching them to the wall. The Hobbits had come right up to the cell wall, while the others came as close as they could so that they could talk about the happenings of the past few days.

The ranger, Aragorn was the first to notice them and he nudge the man nest to him. Carolyn's eyes widened as she recognised the man as the stewards son, and curtsied to him as she would have in Gondor.

"Miss Carolyn?" he said moving as close as her could to the woman.

"You know this woman?" Gimli inquired.

"Yes, but she never returned from visiting her relatives, it was assumed that she stayed with them."

"Nay I was brought here by a group of men and orcs not 9 months ago."

Boromir went to reply but Drya interrupted, "we must hurry, the guards will finish soon."

Boromir simply glared at her and went to continue what he was going to say but Carolyn spoke over him as well.

"Drya is right we must be quick, Legolas asked us to bring you a meal. It is not much but it is something." Both women brought food out of the small bags they had brought with them.

"How do we know we can trust you?" Gimli asked.

Carolyn smiled softly at the dwarf, "Legolas did not think you would trust us. So he gave us a message. He gave us a list of names," she then proceeded to tell them the names of every person who had attended the council of Elrond. She then spoke a string of Elvish which made Aragorn chuckle and accept the food from the women.

He handed some to the Hobbits and then to Boromir and Gimli, who took it less enthusiastically then the Hobbits. They were also given some clean water with they shared around before the women announce they had to leave.

"Please tell us, how is Legolas?" Pippin asked before they could leave.

"As well as can be expected, however I don't think he will last long here. Everyone knows of the last time Legolas was here, Oda believes that Legolas hasn't faded only because you are still here. If you do not get him out soon, he will be dead within the fortnight."


	10. Torture and Healing

**TO SPEAK WITH ONE'S HANDS**

**Sign language/animal sounds  
**_Black Speech  
_((Elvish))

* * *

Early the next morning the guards came down to the cells and opened the door to the man and Gimli's prison. The three were immediately on their feet and the Hobbits were startled awake in the next cell. 

Two Uruk-Hai moved towards Aragorn and Boromir, restraining them while two others unchained Gimli and dragged him out of the room. The Guards ignored the prisoners protest and left the room without a word.

Gimli was taken through the caves until they came to another cell, but not set up for holding prisoners but instead for breaking them. The walls were lined with instruments make to cause as much pain as possible with the smallest amount of effort possible.

Gimli was forced to one side of the room and then lifted so that his wrists could be placed onto a set of chains which were the right height for a fully grown man or elf but they left him dangling almost two feet of the ground.

The guards then left him alone and it wasn't long before his arms started to shake for the exertion of having his entire weight on them.

Gimli was left for over an hour before Rondir entered the room. The man crossed the room to a shelf opposite Gimli where he gathered some items which the dwarf couldn't see; Rondir stood listening to his captive's heavy breathing, his body weight making it harder for lungs to draw the amount of oxygen they needed for his body to work normally.

Rondir turned back to his prisoner, who glared at him silently trying to pretend that the stress that his body was under wasn't affecting him. The man stood staring at Gimli for what seemed to the Dwarf as hours before he spoke.

"You know, my family kept your friend for over one thousand years, we beat him until he hardly had the energy to breathe any more and then we beat him some more. When he was almost dead we would lock him away in the depths of these tunnels and leave him there for weeks at a time, with only small amounts of food and water without any contact with any other living creature, until he thought that we had forgotten him, and then were would take him out and if he was willing to obey us then we would beat him again and send him off to work. If not then the whole process would start again and each time we would beat him for longer, lock him away for longer and give him less food, until he couldn't cope anymore. But every race is different, you don't break a horse in the same manner as you would tame a dog, it was a very good why to break elves because of their need for nature and the stars, but I know that it will not work for a dwarf."

"Of course it won't, dwarves don't break." Gimli stated proudly.

"And as you are the first of your kind we have had the pleasure of breaking," he continued, ignoring Gimli's comment, "We will just have to keep trying different methods until we find one that works, we need to find what will hurt you the most, with the elf it was his love of nature so we took nature from him, and also interestingly enough singing seem to help him as well, so we stole his voice. Now all we have to do is find your weakness and then you will be ours."

Rondir moved closer to him.

"Shall we begin?"

* * *

Gimli was thrown back into the cells two days later. The guards dumped him on the floor without placing him in any of the cells, trusting that he wasn't in any condition to escape and wouldn't be for awhile. 

"Hey you can't just leave him their!" Boromir complained when the Orcs started to leave the room.

"Your lucky we even brought him back, if we had it are way he would be tonight's dinner, so shut up." The guard snarled back before continuing up the stairs.

From what they could see, Gimli was covered in welts and slashes from some form of whip, his left shoulder was bulging out of its socket and many of his fingers were bent in the wrong direction. His left leg had a large gash in it revealing the white bone underneath and his lower right leg was had a bump where the broken bone was pushing against the skin from the inside. Miraculously enough Gimli was still awake however incoherent.

"Gimli? Gimli?"

The dwarf seemed to hear him but didn't have the energy to look at Aragorn.

"Gimli, make some kind of noise if you can hear me." Aragorn prompted.

The dwarf grunted softly and they saw he eyes open briefly before they closed again a few seconds later.

"Gimli, please wake up, Gimli." Pippin said from the Hobbits cell, all four of them were pressed up against the bars to try and see the injured member of their group.

"Let him sleep, Pippin, we can't do anything for him right now, except let him know we are here for him." Aragorn told the hobbit, reaching through the bars to touch the Hobbit's shoulder.

They sat in the semi light of the cells, all watching the Dwarf's chest rise and fall, all hoping it wouldn't be his last. Aragorn and Boromir both tried to get the Hobbit's to sleep, promising that they would wake them if anything happen but they would nave none of it, none of them willing to sleep while their friends fate was uncertain.

Since Gimli had been taken two days before, no one had entered the rooms apart from the guards returning Gimli, so when they heard someone coming down the stairs, they all feared that the guards were returning for Gimli or to take one of the others away. They were completely surprised however when Legolas appeared at the base of the stairs, looking around carefully for any guards.

"Lego…" Legolas's eyes widened and he shook his head vigorously to try and silence the Hobbit. Taking the message they were all silent as Legolas paused listening to try and find out if the guards had heard him or not.

Ignoring the rest of the group, Legolas approached Gimli and began checking the dwarf's injuries. Legolas placed the bag he had brought with him on the floor next to him and pulled out some water and cloths along with a bottle of alcohol to clean the worst of the wounds and try and ward of the infection that was imminent if the wounds weren't treated properly.

Legolas methodically went through cleaning the welts and cuts on the dwarf's body, starting with the large gash on his left leg, he pored a generous amount of the alcohol into the wound before sowing it shut with a clothes mending needle he had taken from one of the women. When he finished cleaning each wound he bound them, until they were all treated as best as they could be with his limited rescores. He then worked to move him closer to the Hobbit's cells so they could help, Aragorn would have been a better choice but the chains the two men were in prevented them from coming close enough to the cell wall for them to be much help, the Hobbit's on the other hand were free to roam their cell.

When he had Gimli lying next to the cell door he took hold of Frodo's hands and placed them on Gimli's chest, repeating the process for each hobbit placing their hands where they would be most useful and least painful for Gimli, before motioning for them to hold Gimli down.

Legolas then pushed a piece of cloth in Gimli's mouth to muffle any noise that came out of the dwarf while he reset his bones. Legolas then moved Gimli's leg and manoeuvred the Dwarf's bone back into place and as he expected the Dwarf was quickly awake trying to get away, making it very hard for the Hobbits to keep him down. Legolas held the leg still while Sam spoke quietly to Gimli until he calmed down again and allowed Legolas to split his leg. The elf had taken two stirring sticks from the kitchen and strapped them in place to help to keep the leg straight while it healed.

When he finished the leg he got up and moved over to Aragorn, who knowing what he needed now, passed him the leather wrist guard that he wore. Legolas moved up to the dwarf's shoulder and knelt next to him, and removed the cloth from Gimli's mouth.

"Legolas, are you well?" Gimli asked, drawing a slight smile from the elf.

**"You should worry less about me and more about your own health." **Legolas replied with his hands, and Aragorn whispered a translating for them.

"I don't know how you coped with it all those years." Gimli said, his voice strained.

Legolas put his finger to Gimli's lips and then looked to Aragorn, silently asking the man to explain what he was going to do.

But even as the man started to explain Gimli stopped him.

"I've had a dislocated limb before I know what he has to do, just do it laddie."

Legolas held out the end of the leather brace and Gimli bit down on it to stop himself from biting his tongue or lip when the limb was put back into place.

When Gimli took the leather in his mouth he nodded to the Hobbit's who put their weight on the dwarf again to hold him down.

"Alright on three," Aragorn said, "one…"

Legolas pulled the limb back into place before Gimli could tense up, drawing a shout from the Dwarf which he couldn't control.

"You would think that after a thousand years or so you would have learnt how to count elf." Gimli said through clenched teeth.

Legolas ignored him and quickly packed up the things he had brought with him. When he was finished he headed for the door, but stopped when Aragorn called him back.

**"I must go, if they find me gone they will punish the hobbits for my disobedience."**

"I know you risked much by coming here, thank you, he would not have lasted the night other wise." Aragorn replied, looking over at the dwarf who had lost consciousness again.

Legolas nodded then without looking back again he started up the stairs. The fellowship sat in silence all ready to sleep now that they knew Gimli was cared for.

"Think you could just sneak out did you?" a voice said on the stairs before several people could be heard coming back down the stairs. Someone on the stairs gave a small cry then Legolas appeared, rolling down the stairs, apparently having been pushed, when he hit the bottom he stayed exactly where he fell and a few seconds later Rondir appeared with two Orc guards in tow. Taking in the fellowship in their cells and Gimli cared for on the floor he glared down at Legolas.

"It would seem that you haven't learnt you lesson after all, we will have to remedy that."

* * *

(A/N) A nice long chapter for you as it may be a while before I update again cause of exams next week. But you can help me to update sooner by telling me what you think I should get Rondir to do to them. 

please review

lov  
JEDIBANT


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